lol - Shortly after I logged of CR and went to bed I figured someone might comment on that. No, I'm not trying to be racist - I'm just lazy. Sorry.

meowmeow418wrote:
By the way Hoshino, I get the feeling you did extensive research on the topic. You could publish a book or something. The awesome part is is that you're right. The problem is is that businesses want to make money. There is a saying that I like using: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If Fan Service was no longer profitable, then it would vanish from the market. While fear is a part of why Fan Service is used, I don't think it is the only reason.

Thanks for the compliment. I can't say whether or not the research I've done is "extensive", but I have read some very informative articles (and I do think like a businessman at times, lol). If you are interested in Japanese business and their frame of mind, you can check out articles on Gaijinpot:http://www.gaijinpot.com/

It prevents shows from reaching their full potential essentially. Immersion into any literary medium is a fragile relationship and fan service, which basically serves to make it clear from an authorial POV that the audience reception to them is of greater pertinence than the actual content of the narrative, goes in the face of its principles. Then the popularity of my work is of greater importance to me than the work itself. It erodes integrity and leads you to question whether its core is literary or commercial in value.

This for me is the black and white, theoretical side of it, but as with all things of course, it's hardly that clear cut. Distinguishing fan service from the product of pure authorial intent is always going to be an unassailable grey area.

Anyway imo I think you'll find a lot of decent fan service-centric stuff, but the best pieces will always use the traditional formula, where union between author and reader is minimised during the texts contrivance. So if the anime is about manipulating cliches and appealing to a base than creating an original, stand-alone work then its not at all a bad thing. Shows with a lot of fan service stuff may be undeniably trashy but are for the most part a lot of fun. I just have to ensure I switch off from cynical mode.

Fan Service is something that needs to enhance the story for it to be good. Random shots of girls in their undies takes away from the story if they are not needed, even for comedy purposes. In general, I am not a fan of, well, Fan Service. Are there any exceptions? Sure. Ro-kyu-bu was pretty good, as was Bridge to the Starry Skies, Photo Kano, and Infinite Stratos. Be smart about it, and I won't mind.

Why it was perfect in Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet. One of the few time I was going 'Humm Not bad!'

This season is very heavily influenced by fan service, particularly the vulgar yaoi/yuri stuff which really turns me off. I'll always look for the hidden Nichijou or The Tatami Galaxy style series above everything else, something that expresses someones love of anime rather than the machinations of an industry designed to serve.

In general anime, a little fanservice is fine, but unusually large sized boobs, butts, and the like that are floating around & focused on in every episode is, in my opinion, a bad thing. In animes specific toward sexuality (hentai, ecchi, etc) it's fine, because it is part of the story. I think that excessive fanservice takes away from the story. I can't watch a good action-packed fight if large amounts of skin is shown more than the fighting part (i.e. Highschool of the Dead, Fairy Tail).

The best animes I've seen had some fanservice, but didn't detract from the actual plotline of the show, i.e. FMA, Code Geass, AoT, Drrr!, Gintama (I think it just has dirty humor lol), & Hunter x Hunter.

The best animes I've seen had some fanservice, but didn't detract from the actual plotline of the show, i.e. FMA, Code Geass, AoT, Drrr!, Gintama (I think it just has dirty humor lol), & Hunter x Hunter.

Gintama has the best dirty humor.. they really know how to walk that line and make you go WTF and ROLF all at once.

In excess, yes. For example, I think Nisemongatari had some fan service moments that were just ridiculous and they really annoyed me (with the exception of a certain scene involving dental hygiene).

I have to say though, that dental hygiene seen is probably the hottest scene in any anime. I just don't mind the fanservice in that series, I enjoy it because they do it so well. With most animes I would be annoyed at that level of fanservice, but with Nisemonogatari it works.

fan service is great in comedy/harem animes but stuff like fairy tail lates it's just sad fan service. they are just trying to get more readers and watchers by doing so but at the same time its taming the awesomeness of the story. all i can say is, a great anime and a great story is not in need of fan service. if the mangaka think he needs to add tits and asses its cause he think he wont get anyone to read/watch his things.

Of course not. That's like asking if violence is bad. Is it for everyone? No, but for those who enjoy it it's great. I've literally watched shows simply because they were ecchi, though I've dropped shows because they were boring to me *cough* We, Without Wings *cough*.

Though, I've never felt that fanservice distracts from a story. Sometimes, I'm so involved in the story that I miss some fanservice, though this really only happens during action series.